The present invention relates generally to the installation of single passenger interface unit in the floor area of an aircraft, and more particularly, to the installation of a single passenger interface unit in the floor area of an aircraft that is able to be easily relocated to a different area inside the aircraft.
With the advent of the telecommunications and the computer age, individuals are constantly in need of electronic contact with external sources such as telecommunications networks and the internet. This direction is exemplified by the increase and advancement in wireless technology including cell phones, wireless LANs and wireless modems. Such wireless technology allows individuals to communicate with other individuals and connect to computer networks and the internet from remote areas such as inside automobiles, camp sites, and vacation resorts. As a result, individuals are able to perform their jobs and maintain communication while traveling and at locations far outside the office, thereby transforming the traditional brick and mortar office environment into a virtual office space.
While wireless technology is heavily used in land based locations such as land vehicles, it has not as of yet found widespread use in certain types of transportation. Specifically, the use of wireless technology on aircrafts has not been penetrated due to the great distance between the remote computer or cellular device and the cellular hub as well as the restrictions placed upon passengers due to potential interference of the transmitting cellular device with the aircraft""s navigation systems. To overcome this, some aircraft manufacturers have provided a single wireless link to allow passengers in the aircraft to connect to a ground based cellular link for connection to a cellular or computer network. While this technological advancement serves to provide adequate transmission power to reach ground based connections and does not interfere with the aircraft""s navigational systems, the logistics of properly connecting to a passenger""s individual computer still remains to be achieved and refined.
Specifically, network servers or passenger interface units are required to be installed in the aircraft. Each passenger interface unit provides connections for multiple computer users to connect. The passenger interface unit, in turn, communicates with a transmitter/receiver external to the aircraft for transmitting information to and from a ground based link. The passenger interface unit, which is bulky and fragile, must be mounted in a location out of sight and hindrance from the aircraft passengers. Typically, this location is in the side walls of the aircraft. Specifically, the passenger interface unit is placed through a hole in the side wall and mounted to the frame of the aircraft. The hole is then sealed back up while allowing for a small aperture therethrough, which allows a communications cable to be passed to each of a plurality of passenger seats. While this mounting method does serve to adequately mount the passenger interface unit, some drawbacks exist. Specifically, this mounting method requires the presence of large apertures for communication cable to pass through, resulting in an aesthetically unpleasing surface. Moreover, after the passenger interface unit is removed, there remains a hole which must somehow be re-sealed. The present invention was developed in light of these and other drawbacks.
To address these and other drawbacks, the present invention provides a floor portion in the aircraft that has an aperture in the floor panel and a removable cover. An extension portion extends outwardly from one part of the aperture and the floor cover is positioned over the aperture and detachably affixed to the floor panel. The cover is sized such that it allows a gap to exist between the extension portion and the floor cover for passing a communication cable therethrough.
In another aspect, an aircraft is provided having the floor portion as described above. The cover and floor panel is spaced from an outer skin of the aircraft by a plurality of floor beams. The passenger interface unit is positioned between two adjacent floor beams in the space. The aperture is sized to allow installation and removal of the passenger interface unit when the floor cover is removed.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.